![]() ![]() ![]() The Lakers would have a significant advantage for stretches of the game while providing James and Davis more time to rest on the bench. When the team is at full strength, Hachimura could be a key player in the second unit alongside Russell Westbrook and Austin Reaves. 9 overall pick showed his upside in his last game with 30 points on 13-of-22 shooting. Hachimura now provides even more depth in the post, giving the team another reliable scorer after averaging 13.0 points in 30 games off the bench with Washington. The strong play could allow Davis to play the 4 when he returns, allowing LeBron James to spend more time on the perimeter. Bryant has impressed when on the court, however, averaging 12.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Injuries have caused some adjustments to the lineup, with Thomas Bryant filling in for Anthony Davis and Troy Brown Jr. PF: LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Wenyen GabrielĬ: Anthony Davis, Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones SF: Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson SG: Patrick Beverley, Austin Reaves, Max Christie It helps strengthen the roster when fully healthy as the 22-25 squad tries to get back into playoff contention. Internal expectations and those within the fanbase are surely at the championship-or-bust level, but objectively speaking, a trip to the second round would be a successful season.This deal provides some much-needed depth for a squad that has struggled with injuries this year. The Lakers should factor into the Western Conference playoff race, but that might be as good as it gets-barring a Westbrook trade that delivers real contributors (think, Kyrie Irving or Buddy Hield and Myles Turner). Not without major breakouts from players like Walker, Bryant and Brown, at least. kept busy in free agency, it didn't dramatically improve them. This roster has a lot of weak spots, and while L.A. Injuries have obviously played a part, but even in the 576 minutes the stars shared last season, the Lakers were outscored by 2.5 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. Still, this will be the fourth season for the James-Davis tandem, and while one delivered a title, another fizzled out in the first round and the third stopped before the playoffs started. Is there a chance this club actually factors into the championship race? Probably not, although you never want to completely rule out a team with top-shelf talents like James and Davis. ![]() If the Lakers want Davis at the 4, the fight between Bryant and Jones for the starting center spot should be a good one.īryant's three-ball probably gets him the nod, but he'll need to stay healthy and keep his energy up to stay ahead of Jones, who uses his athleticism and activity to make things happen around the rim. The challenge for Brown and Toscano-Anderson, then, will be using their energy and defense to force their way onto the floor-and possibly ahead of Johnson, who hinders the spacing as a non-shooter. The Lakers need a bounce back from Horton-Tucker, and they should give him ample opportunity to find one. If he sustains a season-long hot streak like Malik Monk did last time around, Walker might log the most floor time. The former probably gets more minutes due to his reliability on defense, but the latter's minutes will peak when his three-ball is falling. Regardless who wins the starting job between Reaves and Walker, both will see plenty of floor time. Plus, Westbrook's only backup on the depth chart, Nunn, just lost an entire season to a knee injury, so it's hard to say how much L.A. Maybe it's lip service or a leverage play, but Lakers coach Darvin Ham sounds confident he can find a helpful niche for the 33-year-old. PG: SG: SF: PF: C: Starter 2nd 3rd 4th 5th D'Angelo Russell: Dennis Schroder: Austin Reaves: Shaquille Harrison: Scotty Pippen Jr. They'll move around the floor, too, with Davis pinging between the 4 and 5 spots, while James will operate primarily at the 3 and 4, though he could conceivably see action at any position.īarring a trade, Westbrook should get a lot of work, too. Los Angeles Lakers Depth Chart Depth Chart. There isn't much to discuss with James or Davis, so let's get them out of the way first.Īs long as they're healthy, they're going to play a ton. ![]()
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